Complaints Policy

If you wish to make a formal complaint about the care you have received, please see the following information:

At Stoneham Lane Surgery we want our patients to receive the very highest standards of care. If you feel we have failed to reach these standards please let us know as this can help us to improve services for you and other patients. All complaints are treated in confidence and will not be noted in your health records or affect your future treatment in any way. Your complaint will be handled in the same way regardless of ethnicity, age, gender, or disability.

If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working here, please let us know. We operate a practice complaints procedure as part of a NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria. Our aim is to give you the highest possible standard of service and we try to deal swiftly with any problems that may occur

How to Complain

We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot by resolved out in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible – ideally, within a matter of days because this will enable us to establish what happened more easily. If it is not possible for you to do that, please let us have the details of your complaint:

• Within 6 months of the incident that caused the problem; OR
• Within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided this is with 12 months of the incident

Letters of complaints should be addressed to the Practice Manager or a GP Partner (Address: Stoneham Lane Surgery, Parkville Road, Southampton, SO16 2JA or alternatively you can complete our secure online form. It would be a great help if you are as specific as possible about your complaint. You may also discuss your concerns with the management team, who will explain the complaints procedure and reassure you that your concerns are dealt with promptly.

The First Stage – Local Resolution, what we will do

We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have looked into your complaint with 10 working days of the date when you raised with us. We will keep you informed as to why if our investigation may take longer than 10 days. We shall then be in a position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved.

When we look into your complaint we aim to:

• Find out what happened and what went wrong
• Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this
• Make sure you receive an apology, where it is appropriate
• Identify what we can do so that the problem doesn’t happen again

Complaining on behalf of someone else

Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have permission to do so. A letter or patient consent form obtained from the practice will be required and this must be signed by the patient, unless they are incapable of this with good reason/illness.

The Next Stage

Anyone who feels that their complaint has not been handled satisfactorily by the practice can now complain directly to the Health Service Ombudsman. If you are unsure about what to do next, or would like further help and advice, then please contact them using the details on their website

Other Useful Contacts

Healthwatch Southampton 

If you need independent support to help make your complaint you may wish to contact Healthwatch Southampton who offers an Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy. Healthwatch provides support to people if they have a complaint regarding any National Health Service treatment. Healthwatch can represent your views, thoughts and feelings and support you in getting your voice heard concerning health and social care services

Visit the Healthwatch Southampton website

South East Complaints Hub

If you do not wish to raise your complaint directly with the practice you can contact The Primary Care Complaints Team, hosted by NHS Frimley, who will investigate the matter and provide you with a response. Their details are as follows:

South East Complaints Hub
NHS Frimley ICB
Aldershot Centre for Health
Hospital Hill
Aldershot
Hampshire
GU11 1AYPO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT

• Telephone: 0300 561 0290
• Email: Frimleyicb.southeastcomplaints@nhs.net

Citizens Advice Bureau

Local Citizens Advice Bureaus can be a great source of advice and support if you want to complain about the NHS, social services or local authorities. You can find your local Citizens Advice Bureau via their website.